3 states reporting low to moderate influenza activity

CDC’s FluView report for the week of November 21 indicates that seasonal influenza activity in the United States rose slightly from the previous week but is still low for this time of year. According to the report, influenza activity nationwide represented 1.6% of outpatient visits for the week ending November 21, up somewhat from the previous week but below the national baseline of 2.6%. No states reported high or very high influenza activity during that period, while Rhode Island reported moderate activity and New Mexico and New Jersey reported low activity. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza at clinical laboratories remained the same as the previous week, at 0.2%. The data show that 49.9% of positive influenza specimens collected since September 27 were identified as Influenza A, while 50.1% were Influenza B. Nationwide, the mortality rate for influenza and pneumonia is 11.3%, above the epidemic threshold of 6.3%. These deaths are attributed to influenza, pneumonia, or COVID-19.